People flying in and out of Australia while others are apparently stranded.

I’m confused as I’ve personally known a couple of people to fly in and out of Australia for work or family reasons and they seem to be able to organise flights while in contrast there are still people being reported in the media as being stranded overseas since this whole coronavirus saga began. Wondering why some people seem to be able to travel in and out while others are apparently still stuck overseas?

And there was the comments by WA premier (I think) saying “anecdotally” people were visiting India and coming back covid-positive. (Bit of a swipe at the government for allowing it perhaps?)

I found it strange too, but, you are allowed to travel overseas, for these reasons, which is actually quite broad.

your travel is as part of the response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including the provision of aid

your travel is for your business/employer

you are travelling to receive urgent medical treatment that is not available in Australia

you are travelling outside Australia for a compelling reason for three months or longer

you are travelling on compassionate or humanitarian grounds

your travel is in the national interest.

And if you can afford the flights, and the hotel quarantine, and are happy to risk catching covid, then it’s all allowed.

No idea how some people find flights and others don’t.

Yes, thanks as I didn’t know about the criteria, seems to be quite broad and loosely/flexibly interpreted from the people I’ve known who have travelled. Still curious around the issue of contrast in getting flights or not.

I think you're allowed to travel if you have loads of money and can afford it essentially.

I think there are some cities more difficult to get out of than others as there might not be much freedom of movement or many domestic or connecting flights.

There are also stranded Aussies that were not stranded a mot ago. So their work contract recently ended etc. Or the city they were in has become more difficult to live in due to covid. There ones are trickier as there is a current need to get these people home, but previously they were perfectly happy where they were

I know of an Aussie who travelled to Austrt for a wedding, stayed a while then went back home. He is actively looking for jobs in AU but will stay overseas until he gets a job here

That loophole is about to increase with the NZ travel bubble.

Australian cant government can’t stop people from travel onwards from NZ.

But yes I am aware of at least a Doz people who have come to Australia to live (not citizens) and for a ‘holiday’ (citizen but live abroad)

Wasn’t there some data of how many people ‘came home for Xmas’. Aussie citizens that went back home abroad?

You can also travel overseas if you have dual citizenship, hence the India comment, of people going over there for weddings, ( sometimes arranged marriages for theselves) and furnerals.

I think a lot are people travelling for business, especially if they have to check on a factory based overseas.

But there is also the fact, some people are stuck in countries that have no connection to be able to take a flight anywhere to get back, and would require long, overland journeys to get to an airport where they can start taking connecting flights. Others can book a flight, but if continually gets canncelled and cancelled.

Our family is one of those affected by this. We have been partially successful. Some of the reasons below don't apply to us, but apply to other stranded Australians. It is not a comprehensive list of reasons, but it will give you an idea.

A city will just close down for months just as ytou are due to fly. All other cities are already full due to quotas and you need to wait it out. In a foreign country with no home any more, let alone a revenue stream.

Qatar is notorious for overbooking planes and bumping/ cancelling passengers and flights. those who paid the least are most likely to be bumped. But, they are sometimes the only option for people.

Some airlines are still selling airfares despite not flying for over a year ( hello Fiji Airlines). They offer great prices, so stressed and poor Australians regularly get trapped by this. Then the flight doesn't leave but Aussies have money sunk in an airline that cannot help them.

DFAT offer infrequent flights home, but typically with three days' notice. There are the usual classes of fares on offer and the affordable ones ( eg 2,000 from the UK) disappear very quickly, within half an hour of the email with the pin number being sent to registered Australians. Most people who are stuck overseas have houses full of belongings, rental handovers , work and jobs that require notice. But, if you do get a DFAT flight you know it will run.

It is very hard to get a loan for people in hardship to buy these DFAT tickets

Tickets are being sold for flights that are not even scheduled (ask how I know ).

People with money are buying flights on more than one airline so that if they get bumped they have an option.

In short, if you can afford to buy a business class ticket, you are probably ok. If you are aiming for Sydney, you have more luck as more flights are available.

I know of non-citizens (those with temporary Australian visas - but long term ones) who fly home to visit family then come back as they are employed here in Australia. I imagine this may apply to some people from India (re the WA Premier remark), but I also know some from other nationalities.

The availability of flights does depend a bit on where you are and how much money you have.

I think those stranded overseas has to do with money and overall availability of flights. Also the issue with shady airlines PP mention is common.

Many other countries do offer financial assistance to bring citizens home. I know Canada was offering loans last year and have helped coordinate flights.

I don't understand why vaccines are not a requirement to travel into (or out of if you want to return) Australia.

I wouldn't be that hard to make some available at every Australian consulate, and yes it can be Astra Zeneca. If you don't want to take the very very low risk of a blood clot you will have to accept the much much higher risk of catching covid staying o'seas.

The fact that we are allowing unvaccinated people to leave Australia, potentially catch the virus and import it back is astonishing.

I don't understand why vaccines are not a requirement to travel into (or out of if you want to return) Australia.

I wouldn't be that hard to make some available at every Australian consulate, and yes it can be Astra Zeneca. If you don't want to take the very very low risk of a blood clot you will have to accept the much much higher risk of catching covid staying o'seas.

The fact that we are allowing unvaccinated people to leave Australia, potentially catch the virus and import it back is astonishing.

Because it he government stuffed up the roll out. I’d get Vaccinated tomorrow if I could

Fun fact: my last TAFE assignment was about arranging international travel. They asked what the current advice was, which is “Don’t”. Included the $3000 for hotel quarantine in the travel budget and still came under

Passed too

There would be too many variables to determine, cost would likely be a huge factor. For both the flights and to pay for quarantine once they get back into Australia. It would also depend where they are flying from and into, reasons for travelling etc etc.

I think it’s important to note that the people on the list to come home now are not all the same people who were on the list months ago. Plenty of people have come home, often with a lot of delay and cost, but plenty have also joined the queue.

Money talks unfortunately.

My youngest son is one of those who has flown overseas for work earlier this year. He had to pay for his quarantine stay but will have that money refunded to him when he successfully completes his contract. He is not required to pay tax so is able to save quite well also.

His primary reason for travelling though is to be reunited with his partner who lives in the country he's now working in and who has exhausted all visas for Australia. They were living together in another country when COVID broke out and each returned to their home countries, never expecting they would still be separated more than a year later. They plan to marry, probably in her home country, and will then try eventually to get her a partner visa for Australia.

My husband is heading overseas for the third time since Covid next week, wish it was harder for him to go but now his work know it’s easy to get approval all travel is back on it seems.

Extended family were on first expedited flight back via quarantine in Darwin, and left again recently to go back. Missionary/church work. With a baby in tow.

Aussie here living abroad who delayed our move back to australia for an additional 12 months when the government told us to stay put it we had a job and somewhere to live because the airlines may stop flying. They failed to mention they would effectively block us from returning by introducing caps on flights so planes are coming in with 40 odd people at a time. Our youngest was only 8 weeks old without a passport for either country when everything went into lockdown and it took 8 months just to get his australian citizenship sorted and then the embassy here won't doing passport interviews until he new year. We were waiting for DHs PR to be approved which was delayed also due to covid and it takes minimum 7 months to get pets ready to fly into australia with all the criteria.

We have flights booked for July with Qatar but really have no idea if they'll go ahead because they cancel/reschedule/redirect a lot of flights and each state seems to restrict/cancel the number of people they let in at any given time. We don't have the money to book the DFAT flights from london so hoping for the best with the ones we have, our house is in the process of being sold and our dog has a set date to go into the pet quarantine facility in Melbourne. Our kids are under 16 so wouldn't be vaccinated even if we had ours done at the embassy here. The country we're living in won't have vaccines for our age group until august at the very earliest either. If our flights get cancelled then we may be looking at spending 30k in the following days just to make it back to any city in australia plus 5k for quarantine.

So disheartening to see the amount of comments online saying close the airports to australian citizens when you can see the other side of the story with people jobless, homeless and on the verge of suicide.

People saying they've had 12 months to return with absolutely no idea of the reality of the situation. Now the hotel quarantine system is leading to people catching covid when they've managed to avoid it for 12 months because the federal government refuses to step up and use appropriate accommodation. It's infuriating, exhausting and frustrating that people just don't seem to understand or care about their fellow aussie citizens because 'they chose to go abroad'.

ETA the government only let us register on their website in the last few weeks as wanting to return as the only options they had for months were want to return home immediately or not looking to return immediately so their numbers have been BS from the start. Also, there's hundreds of thousands of aussies living overseas at any given time for various reasons so 40k is just the tip of the iceberg.

Rant over.

Was very surprised to learn in today's press conference that WA alone has had 45,000 international returnees through quarantine. So lots are getting home.

Aussie here living abroad who delayed our move back to australia for an additional 12 months when the government told us to stay put it we had a job and somewhere to live because the airlines may stop flying. They failed to mention they would effectively block us from returning by introducing caps on flights so planes are coming in with 40 odd people at a time. Our youngest was only 8 weeks old without a passport for either country when everything went into lockdown and it took 8 months just to get his australian citizenship sorted and then the embassy here won't doing passport interviews until he new year. We were waiting for DHs PR to be approved which was delayed also due to covid and it takes minimum 7 months to get pets ready to fly into australia with all the criteria.

We have flights booked for July with Qatar but really have no idea if they'll go ahead because they cancel/reschedule/redirect a lot of flights and each state seems to restrict/cancel the number of people they let in at any given time. We don't have the money to book the DFAT flights from london so hoping for the best with the ones we have, our house is in the process of being sold and our dog has a set date to go into the pet quarantine facility in Melbourne. Our kids are under 16 so wouldn't be vaccinated even if we had ours done at the embassy here. The country we're living in won't have vaccines for our age group until august at the very earliest either. If our flights get cancelled then we may be looking at spending 30k in the following days just to make it back to any city in australia plus 5k for quarantine.

So disheartening to see the amount of comments online saying close the airports to australian citizens when you can see the other side of the story with people jobless, homeless and on the verge of suicide.

People saying they've had 12 months to return with absolutely no idea of the reality of the situation. Now the hotel quarantine system is leading to people catching covid when they've managed to avoid it for 12 months because the federal government refuses to step up and use appropriate accommodation. It's infuriating, exhausting and frustrating that people just don't seem to understand or care about their fellow aussie citizens because 'they chose to go abroad'.

ETA the government only let us register on their website in the last few weeks as wanting to return as the only options they had for months were want to return home immediately or not looking to return immediately so their numbers have been BS from the start. Also, there's hundreds of thousands of aussies living overseas at any given time for various reasons so 40k is just the tip of the iceberg.

Rant over.

I know people in similar situations. Online comments send me into a rage at the best of times, I can't read them now at times! People really haveno clue.

Best of luck to you getting back..

We have had several employees travel overseas multiple times. If we didn't agree to it, they would have gone with another company but with crappier conditions.

This last trip however, covid ripped through the mine-site. Then they realised that the company they were all busting the arse to sick up to, really didn't GAF, only wanted to keep making a profit and straight out threatened people to keep working ireegardles of covid status.

The only reason as to how they got there was that the mining company has forked out big $$$. There's private covid tests, hotel stays before travel, quarantine payments, private international flights, exemptions, changed flights, all food/drinks etc, wifi, laptops for extra staff members working in quarantine..and for what?

It's fucking disgusting imo.

(Yes, I have held this view the whole way. It's why my Dad put it on me to manage the latest bullshit. I have the rage to not back down...behind his email signature )

Was very surprised to learn in today's press conference that WA alone has had 45,000 international returnees through quarantine. So lots are getting home.

That would mean nearly 1000 a week? Surely the numbers for WA were never like that.

Was very surprised to learn in today's press conference that WA alone has had 45,000 international returnees through quarantine. So lots are getting home.

 

That would mean nearly 1000 a week? Surely the numbers for WA were never like that.

I was surprised, but yes, it is 1000 a week. McGowan just asked and received approval to halve it to 500 a week until the current outbreak is under control. It is a lot given the size of our CBD and available hotels.

I’m surprised at companies sending staff overseas - surely the risk assessment would rule it out? DH used to travel overseas for work several times a year, but I don’t think he will travel overseas again for quite a while.

I’m surprised at companies sending staff overseas - surely the risk assessment would rule it out? DH used to travel overseas for work several times a year, but I don’t think he will travel overseas again for quite a while.

DH was just saying someone from his company is going to have to go overseas at some point. They need to set up an overseas office/warehouse. But the only other people I know who are going "overseas" for work atm are those who work on rigs outside of Australian waters. But the oil companies have incredibly tight procedures for covid, including all staff having to do hotel quarantine before going out (in hotels set up by the company), multiple PCR and blood tests etc etc.